Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. Cleveland County Criminal History does not retain or log those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be kept long enough to answer it and maintain the related correspondence. It is not disclosed outside the organization unless a valid legal duty requires disclosure.
Data We Gather Automatically
Site servers may collect routine technical information when a page loads:
- Page-view dates, times, and visit duration
- The device's assigned IP address
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- Pages opened during the visit
- The referring website, when one is supplied
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved on a visitor's device. They help measure page traffic, navigation patterns, and where a visit ends. Analytics providers may combine those measurements into aggregate reports. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although disabling them may change how some site functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Operating, maintaining, and improving site performance
- Sending a submitted query to the selected search provider
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Measuring which resources visitors use
- Presenting advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Cleveland County Criminal History does not maintain, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes general directions to records held by the Cleveland County Sheriff, the Clerk of Superior Court, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry. Visitor data is not compiled into a consumer report or a record about another person. This website is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes displayed here. Their own privacy policies govern submitted terms, retention, and any later disclosure. Those practices are beyond this website's control. Visitors should review the provider's policy before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to courts, law-enforcement agencies, North Carolina offices, legal resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor follows an outbound link, the destination's privacy rules apply. Review them before providing personal information.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select interest-based ads. Their tracking is governed by their policies.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. It may be disclosed only to service providers involved in site operations or when law requires it, including:
- Analytics providers that measure traffic and performance
- Search providers that receive a visitor's submitted query
- Advertising networks serving site ads
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used security measures protect collected data. No internet service or storage method can guarantee absolute security, however, so the possibility of unauthorized access cannot be eliminated.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. Information identified as belonging to a minor will be removed when a valid request brings it to our attention.
Your Data Rights
Rights may vary with a visitor's residence and the law that applies. North Carolina protections include the Identity Theft Protection Act, G.S. 75-60 through 75-66, and the unfair or deceptive practices rule in G.S. 75-1.1. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request correction of inaccurate personal information
- Ask what personal information is held about them
- Request deletion where the law provides that option
- Decline certain processing where an applicable law grants that choice
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as site practices or legal duties change. A revised version will appear here with a new effective date, so visitors should review it periodically.
Effective date: August 1, 2026